Shapers of a Dream Mary Reynolds, rsm Executive Director, Mercy International Association September...
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Transcript of Shapers of a Dream Mary Reynolds, rsm Executive Director, Mercy International Association September...
Shapers
of a Drea
mMary Reynolds, rsmExecutive Director, Mercy International
AssociationSeptember 2014
Shapersof a
Dream
His mercies are new every morning
Lamentations 3:23
Charism
Gift given by the Spirit for the renewal and building of the Church
The meeting of the deep story with the needs of the age
“to make some lasting efforts for the relief of the suffering and the instruction of the ignorant, and she thought of establishing a society of pious secular ladies who would devote themselves to their service, with liberty to return to their worldly life when they no longer felt inclined to discharge such duties”
Congregation of the Sisters
of Mercy
Founded by Catherine
McAuley
˜ Foundation Period: (10 -20 years)
Ireland 1831, England 1839, Newfoundland 1842, United
States 1843, Australia 1846, New Zealand 1850, Argentine 1856
˜ Expansion Period (2/3 generations +)
Original foundations in each country set up new
foundations
˜ Stabilization Period (century or more)
High reputation of Mercy schools & hospitals
˜ Breakdown (loss of identity and purpose)
Post Vatican II
˜ Critical period: Extinction, Minimal Survival or Revitalization
Characteristics of Each Age Of Mercy
Revitalisation
Revitalisation is a transforming response to the
signs of the times
The deep story emerges as charism when it is
able to rise to the occasion- which is the
contemporary world in all its concreteness
Charism
Vatican IIThe understanding of Religious Life was of a
privileged state of perfection, a higher calling
Vatican II not only turned that understanding on its
head but it completely changed the worldview of
the entire church
While respecting the unique vocation of each, the
emphasis was on complimentarity and
collaboration
Vatican IICalled religious to reinterpret their charism by a
return to the core call of the gospel and the vision
of their founder in the context of the signs of the
time.
It called the laity to exercise their vocation and to
participate more fully in the mission of the Church.
Charism ˜ The joy and hope, the grief and anguish of the
people of
our time, especially of those who are poor or
afflicted in any
way, are the joy and hope, the grief and
anguish of the
followers of Christ as well
Vita Consereta
˜ A new chapter rich in hope, has begun in the
history of
religious between consecrated persons and
the laity
For the Lay Mercy Minister, it is a call to
recognise the vocation aspect of the ministry
in which they are involved, to nurture the
charism in their own spirituality, to proclaim it
in their mission and value statements and
most especially to embody it in their service
of people to whom they minister
Challenge for Lay Partners in Ministry
“The great temptation for those in Religious
Life to-day is to turn inward, to focus on their
self- preservation and to put all their energies
into maintenance rather than on the mission
of God which continues to call as urgently
now as it did at the time when our
Congregation was founded.”Diarmaid O'Murchú
Challenge for Religious
“The future of Mercy is not for us to invent - that is a divine
prerogative- but one we can anticipate co-creatively. We do
so by embracing with deeper wisdom the new world order
struggling to unfold all around us.”
8000 Sisters
5000 Associates
250, 000 + Partners in Ministry
Mercy Associates by
CongregationNewfoundland110 Congregation/
Ireland575
GB Youth45
Australia (Brisbane)
40
GB Adult375
Australia & PNG
Institute420
Companions in Mercy – Americas
8
Americas3162
Partners in Ministry
250, 000 – 500, 000
Programme Participants by Relationship to Mercy
Tour Participants by Congregational Affiliation
May 2012 – May 2013: Programmes Held at
MIC & Online
MIC Programmes
Partners in Ministry –
31056%
Students – 90
16%
Friends of Mercy
– 51%
Associates – 163%
Non -Mercy
Women Religious –
82%
RSMs – 12322%
Institute of the
Americas - 27951%
Congregation/ Ireland –
10619%
Australia/ PNG – 73
13%
Aotearoa/ New
Zealand – 78
14%
New Foundland –
102%
Great Britain – 6
1%
“I believe we have been inspired to return to our ministries
with renewed vigour and determination to seek
opportunities to spread the word and encourage others to
walk in the footsteps of these early women of Mercy.
We have indeed been challenged with a great
responsibility to continue their work.”
Mercy Pilgrim Participant
Inspiration to carry out the work
of Mercy
School/ University Groups –
49367%
Associate/ Circle of Mercy
Groups – 487%
Parish/ Diocesan
Groups – 14319%
Tour Company Groups -
517%
USA - 36051%
Ireland – 22131%
Australia – 12918%
Tour Participant by Group Type
Tour Participant by Country
MIC – Group Tours: May 2012 – May
2013
Young Mercy Leadership
Pilgrimage
"Fundraising is, first and foremost, a ministry. It's a way of announcing our vision and inviting other people into our mission.“
Henri Nouwen
Enlarge the place of you tent, and let
them stretch forth the curtains of your
habitations; spare not, lengthen your
cords...
Isaiah 54:2
As we explore the Future of Mercy
What can we do better together than any of us can do apart?